During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers began working remote from their homes. This trend continued as employers realized they didn’t need to lease as much office space. In addition, workers didn’t have to get up early, get ready, commute to their work place, or even get dressed! It seemed like a win-win, until it wasn’t. Some employers discovered that not all of their employees were actually working! So now, years later, many companies are calling their employees back into the workplace and not everyone is happy about it.
Listening to some friends talk (and complain) about this, I realized that our God never works remote! He is always present and He is always working! He is Emmanuel, “God with us”.
This Christmas, please take comfort in knowing that wherever you are, whatever you are feeling or going through, you are not alone! You may feel isolated with illness or separated from family due to distance or estrangement, but you are not alone! God is right there with you and nothing can separate you from His love – ever! It’s His very name…
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 KJV
Thank you and Merry Christmas to all of you who have prayed for us, supported us, and read these blogs this year. You are a huge blessing and encouragement to us. May the Lord continue to bless you and your families.
More and more people are opting to buy artificial Christmas trees, rather than fresh. I get it, I really do. The trees are “one and done” and always perfect right out of the box. No fuss no muss.
But after spending many years in the Philippines, where real Christmas trees weren’t an option, I vowed to never again have a plastic tree. I’m pretty adamant about getting a real one each year, even if it’s only a small table top, “Charlie Brown”version.
Real trees come with some problems though. They can be expensive and you have to buy them every year. It’s hard to find a tree that has the right shape all the way around with no bald spots and a straight top. They drop pine needles all over your car and all over your house. Then, as you lift and finagle them into the tree stand, you’ll likely get sap all over your hands and drop even more needles! Then, you have to water them everyday or it will be a dried up stick by Christmas Day. Yes, it’s a messy business. But at least it’s real, I tell myself. So why bother?
Well, I prefer it that way! And, I prefer people that way too, don’t you? Those that are not afraid to be honest and admit everything isn’t perfect. How refreshing. Because my life isn’t perfect either! You know what? God prefers us that way… real. He wants us to come to Him just as we are. We don’t have to pretend.
Let’s come to Him with our sticky messes, our crooked tops and misshapen attitudes, our bald spots, blind spots, and dropping needles all over the place. Because when we do, He will lovingly take us, stand us up, and adorn us with His own righteousness. And, to top it all off, He gives us the perfect gifts of His Holy Spirit. How glorious!
So, whether your tree is perfect, pitiful (like ours), or you have no tree at all…let’s turn our eyes to Him, humbly get real, come and adore Him, and then remember why He came:
Blah, blah, blah….That’s how a lot of people read the long genealogies given in Scripture. Although essential to the Jewish people, if we’re honest, most of us will speed through those sections or skip them all together. They don’t really interest us. However, we should remember that these “begots” were real people with real lives, and stories all their own. Just think about it, heroes like Moses and Elijah; or villains like Jezebel and Judas, all had mothers and fathers! What are their stories, I wonder?
I don’t think people are interested in a “family tree”, unless it’s their own. In fact, there are whole industries that capitalize on the desire of people to know where they came from. Many will pay lots of money to swab their DNA and search databases, hoping to find out something about their ancestors, or themselves. I guess we want to know if our families were famous or noteworthy. Did they come over on the Mayflower? Am I related to Benjamin Franklin? Am I part Cherokee or Korean?
Those that came before us, do matter; and those that will come after us, of course matter too. But, I guess what I’m pondering is…what are we doing that matters? What are we doing with the life “in between” the begats and begots? What heritage will we leave behind? A bit of cash or a condo? Grandmother’s diamond ring? Dad’s pocketknife?
What if we could leave behind something that will never tarnish, devalue, or be spent? I think we can! Because no matter what our financial status or ethnic heritage, as followers of Christ, we can leave behind an example of a life well lived. One of loving and serving. A life lived with faith in Christ. Now that’s something worth passing on to our families, isn’t it?
I’m sure my name will never appear in a list of famous ancestors, but I pray that one day it may be said of me as it was for Timothy’s mother and grandmother, when Paul wrote this:
“I remember your genuine faith, [Timothy], for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.” 2 Timothy 1:5 NLT
What a heritage! As it is written in 3 John 1:4, thereis “…no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”. Amen to that!
On a personal note, our daughter begat a son….. we’re grandparents!
I’d found the perfect Japanese peach. There it was, protected inside a clear clamshell container and nestled in one of those fruit sweaters. Perfect color. Firm but ripe, and just the right amount of fuzz. It looked so succulent and sweet. I justified the 600 yen price tag because after all, it was our anniversary. It would be a special breakfast for us.
The morning came. Washing it in cool water, I was careful not to bruise the fragile fruit. My paring knife easily pierced the skin as I sliced it in half. Oh no! Disaster! The pit had split right in half along with the fruit revealing a rotten, black center. Ugh! How could this be? It looked so perfect and was so expensive. Great! Now what? Toast?
Clearly, I’m not a very good judge of peaches. And, come to think of it, I may not be a very good judge of people either! But Jesus is. He sees right through us.
In biblical times, the religious leaders of the day were supposed to be the “good guys”, the “righteous ones”. Everyone looked up to them as an example of holiness as they walked around all pious. But Jesus saw through to their hearts and saw pride and envy, amongst other things. And, He had some pretty harsh words for them. He said they were like white washed tombs, clean on the outside but full of dead men’s bones! (Matthew 23:27)
I’m glad it’s okay not to be perfect. It’s okay to admit we are broken and struggling. Jesus welcomes us and looks beyond our oddities and imperfections and right into our heart. But what will He find there? Faith and fruit of Spirit, or pit-iful pride? Hmmm…
Oh Lord, fill me with Your Spirit, I pray.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
I’d been laying there longer than I realized. The sun and warm weather felt great…..until it didn’t. I knew I had a problem when I tried to stand up, and couldn’t. I only made it to my knees before I had to stop and steady myself. Woah, what’s happening? I was dizzy, breathing heavily and my heart was pounding as clammy sweat poured down my face. Come on, I can do this. I’m okay. I’m okay. Nope. Not okay. I gotta get out of here. A little embarrassed and not wanting to draw attention to myself, I made excuses and tried to quickly grab my things and get to the car. Just don’t pass out! I told myself. But by now, my chest was heaving, tunnel vision began to set in and my shoulders tensed as I tried to climb the few steps to the car. Just don’t pass out! Just don’t pass out! Hang on!
Well, after several bottles of water and some air conditioning, I began to cool down and recover. What was that about? I’d been dehydrated before, but I’d never experienced something quite like this. It was extreme. Extreme dehydration is scary and it can happen quickly, even when you’re drinking water. It’s hard to keep up in the intense heat of summer in Okinawa, Japan.
Some reports say that 75% of adults in the U.S. are dehydrated. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do believe that many of us can get spiritually dehydrated. King David experienced this when he wrote in the wilderness:
“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NKJV
This troubled world is certainly a dry and thirsty land where there seems to be no water! But we shouldn’t be confused or knocked down by it. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33b “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
When spiritually dehydrated, even the strongest believers in Christ will find it difficult to stand up against the constant opposition of the world. Our faith becomes unsteady and we feel weak. When trials come, we may doubt God, get confused by our circumstances, overwhelmed with worry, and feel like we’re just barely hanging on. At that point, it’s all too easy for fear and anxiety to take over, isn’t it? So what’s the remedy? Hang on and hydrate!
Just as harsh climates require increased hydration, living in a world where evil seems to triumph requires increased spiritual hydration. We must increase our intake of Him and His Word. A sip once a week on Sunday just isn’t enough to keep up under the intense heat of this life.
I need to continually be in His Word and drinking in the Living Water. I must allow His Spirit, His truth, His promises, His love, to wash over me, strengthen me, and permeate every cell of my thirsty soul. It’s like God’s Gatorade! How about you? Need some heavenlyhydration?
Jesus said:
“..whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 NKJV
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I’ve driven by it several times. Each time I see it, I laugh and think to myself, how ridiculous! It’s a trailer with 2 washing machines inside. It has to be the world’s smallest laundromat! It’s parked on the corner of a gas station property located at a major intersection. Who’s going to stop there and do laundry? And, if they did, there’s only 2 machines! They can’t possibly be making any money. Why bother?
My cynical viewpoint soon dissolved after I shared the photo with someone. They remarked how awesome it was and admired the owner’s entrepreneurial spirit! They went on to remind me how sometimes even small food trucks have become actual brick and mortar restaurants. Wow! What a great perspective and what a great reminder to me.
I think too many times we look down on the small things, but God doesn’t. In fact, He delights in taking the small and even ridiculous things, turning them into something awesome for His glory. Remember Moses held a stick in his hand, yet God used it as His instrument to part the Red Sea.1 A small boy only had five loaves and two fish, but God used it as His instrument to feed thousands.2
So I guess the question for all of us is: What have you got in your hand? No matter how small or insignificant you may think it is, offer it to Him and see what He does. Remember, it’s not about being successful, it’s about being faithful. In the parable of the talents, Jesus affirmed this when He said: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:21
I’m sure I will still smile every time I pass by that tiny laundromat, but I hope it reminds me that little becomes much when it’s placed in the Master’s hand.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-27
Maybe you don’t think you have much or you are much. Maybe you don’t think you have anything to offer as far as talents, gifts, or abilities. Be encouraged today – you’re chosen!
1 Exodus 14:16 2 John 6:9
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At the risk of being inappropriate, I’d like to say a word about Japanese toilets. First of all, they’re spectacular. I don’t know why everyone in the world doesn’t have these magnificent little thrones of cleanliness in their homes. If you’ve ever used one, you know what I mean. I best not elaborate further, but there is one particular feature that I find so amusing…
Many toilets here have a button with a musical note on it. If you push that button, a slightly annoying tune will begin to play. Some toilets even play nature sounds like waterfalls, rain falling, or crickets chirping, etc. Why? Well, the idea is that when you are using the “facilities”, if you play the music, it will “mask” the sound of what you’re actually doing! Sometimes, I will go into a bathroom and there are several stalls playing various tunes! Now, I appreciate privacy and being discreet, but that’s hilarious! It’s a bathroom, right?
In another sense, if you think about it, we all do that. We want to “mask” our sins to hide what we’re doing, or have done, because we don’t want to be embarrassed or ashamed. It’s our prideful human nature. That “trait” goes all the way back to the Garden. Remember Adam and Eve with their fig leaves? (ouch!). It didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now.
We all sin because we’re human. It’s our human nature. So don’t try to hide, or pretend that you don’t! And, don’t let your pride get in the way either. It’s so much better to admit it, to God and others, if necessary. It can be as simple as saying, “Hey, I blew it! I’m really sorry I said (that), or I did (that), or I thought (that). Will you forgive me”? Yes! He will, whatever it is, and others probably will too.
I highly recommend repent, refresh, and repeat frequently. It sure feels good to be clean.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
